


you and i (might just be the best thing)

by Queenoftheskittleholics



Category: RWBY
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Fantastic Racism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Loss of Parent(s), pretty much just canon stuff so nothing too wild, tags to be adjusted if needed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:07:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23913571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queenoftheskittleholics/pseuds/Queenoftheskittleholics
Summary: Two girls who couldn't seem more different find themselves growing up and growing closer.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long (mentioned), Ilia Amitola/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 14
Kudos: 19





	1. A Forgotten meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Weiss and Ilia meet before everything goes wrong.

A seven year old Weiss Schnee giggled as she turned the corner into the park. They wouldn’t find her here! Maybe she could play here for a little while away from all those boring things she was supposed to do. In her haste, she wasn’t watching where she was going, and smacking into someone else, hit the ground hard.  
“Watch where you’re going!” She huffed as she got to her feet.  
“Why don’t you?” The voice retorted, and Weiss looked to see who would speak that way to her. She was a girl about her age, but Weiss was distracted from further observation when the red splotched across her face settled to a dark brown, and her similarly red eyes shifted to gray.  
“How did you do that?” Weiss demanded excitedly. Was it her Semblance? It wasn’t as impressive as Weiss’ glyphs, but it was pretty!  
The girl’s face was suddenly mottled with pink, but she looked proud. “I’m a Faunus!” she beamed. “I can change color!”  
“What? But Faunus are dirty and scary!” Weiss said, thinking of all she had heard Father say about them. This girl didn’t look dirty, and she didn’t seem scary. The girl frowned at her.  
“No we’re not!” she said with a roll of her eyes, “Humans just say that!”  
“Oh…” Weiss said, unsure of what to do with this new information. She would have to ask Winter, she decided. Winter knew everything, and she would tell her the truth.  
“Let me show you!” The girl declared excitedly. She frowned in concentration, looking at her hand, which started to turn black, and grinned. “See!” she declared, holding up to Weiss who stared in fascinated horror. The coloring receded, but her smile remained. “I can’t make it colors on purpose for long yet but I’m working on it!”  
“Want to see what I can do?” Weiss asked, eager to show off her own skills to the girl, who nodded curiously. Holding out her hand, she concentrated hard, remembering what Mom and Winter had said. _Just feel it, feel the power, you can do it._ Taking a breath, she looked again at her palm, and sure enough an elaborate white glyph hovered over her palm.  
“Ooh!” The girl exclaimed, suitably impressed. “Does it… do anything?” With that, the glyph flickered out, and Weiss looked down.  
“No.” she admitted moodily, “My mom and sister can make bigger ones that have cool powers, but I can’t.” Then she jutted her chin defiantly. “But I will! Someday, I’ll be as strong as them!” The girl grinned at her enthusiasm.  
“What else do you do?” she asked.  
“I can sing! Everyone says they love my singing.” Weiss said with pride. “What about you?”  
“I don’t know. But, I’m going to school here! Soon!” The girl said, bouncing excitedly. “A real prep school, here in the city!”  
“Oh? I have tutors.” Weiss said smugly. She didn’t say they were stuffy and boring, because tutors are something important people have, and she wanted to show off.  
“Really?” The girl asked skeptically. “Are you someone special?”  
“Of course!” Weiss scoffed, “I’m _Weiss Schnee!_ ”  
“You’re a Schnee?” The girl’s eyes widened. “Wow! Well, I’m Ilia Amitola!”  
“Nice to meet you, Miss Amitola.” Weiss replied with a graceful curtsy, but Ilia had the audacity to laugh at her efforts.  
“You don’t have to act all proper, Miss Schnee,” she replied with an exaggerated air, "unless you _like_ being an Atlas snob." When she saw how affronted Weiss looked, she laughed again, and this time Weiss laughed too.  
It was fun not to have to mind her manners and stand up straight and _don't speak unless spoken to, mind your dress, sweetheart, you'll get dirty_. Maybe she could play here with Ilia for a little while, instead of going to Father's boring speech. It would be much more fun.  
"Weiss!" a voice barked, and Weiss swung around to face a very annoyed looking Winter, with their mother following close behind.  
"Oh no!" She groaned. Winter would get annoyed at her for running off, even though Weiss knew she hated listening to Father's speeches just as much.  
"Weiss, dear, are you alright?" Willow asked, looking concerned.  
"Oh, yes, Mom! I'm sorry I ran off and caused you worry," Weiss said, looking properly ashamed before smiling. "But I made a friend! Her name is Ilia!" she informed them, gesturing to where the other girl, who suddenly looked a bit more bashful stood. They looked at Ilia, who gave them a small wave, before turning back to Weiss.  
"Well I'm afraid you will have to see her another time Weiss, your father wants us at the speech." Willow told her.  
"He's very annoyed." Winter scolded her, before sighing and turning to her with a gentler expression. "So just come with us, alright?"  
Weiss lowered her head and nodded, walking towards them.  
"Bye, Ilia. I hope we meet again!" She called, turning back to where Ilia stood watching with a sad expression.  
"Me too!" She replied, waving to Weiss as she left, "It was nice meeting you!"  
It would be eleven years before the two met again, at Haven Academy, trying to figure out how to put their pasts filled pain and anger and other ugly things behind them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weiss and Ilia meet again, after the attack on Haven.

Ilia walked away from Blake and her team, mumbling something about needing some air. In truth, she had wanted to get away from Blake and the blonde, Yang, if she remembered her name correctly. Sun had confided his suspicions in the nature of their relationship to her, worried about the reunion. It seemed he was right, about the feelings anyway. There was no mistaking the look on Blake’s face when she was near the blonde, the way she gazed at her, how her face would light up at even the slightest smile she sent her way. Well, Ilia had lived through Blake loving someone else before, she would do it again. It still stung, however, so Ilia had excused herself. Apparently the Schnee hadn’t gotten the message though.  
“You’re Ilia, right? Blake’s old friend from the White Fang?” She asked and Ilia nodded, slightly annoyed at the intrusion, from her of all people. “I… wanted to talk to you. I’m sure you know who I am…” she trailed off awkwardly.  
“The Schnee heiress, yes.” Ilia responded brusquely.  
“Well, ex-heiress.” Weiss admitted sheepishly, and Ilia raised an eyebrow at that. “Call Atlas’ finest shallow and stupid at a party once and suddenly you lose your inheritance.” she continued with a chuckle, and Ilia almost wanted to laugh along. She would’ve liked to see that party. Still, the other girl was rambling, so Ilia gave her a hard look. “Right, so,” she cleared her throat. “Blake told me you… might not like me. She told me a little about your parents. Only so I would understand, you know how private she is.” Ilia nodded again. “I wanted to say… I’m sorry, though I know it isn’t worth much.”  
“No, it’s not.” Ilia agreed, thinking of her beloved mother and father, dead in the rubble, her classmates snickering at the loss of some mere animals. “But hey, now you can feel better about yourself.”  
“No!” Weiss cries forcefully, and Ilia looks at her in surprise. “I- I really mean it. I know my father is... horrible.” Weiss said in a strained voice, and Ilia couldn’t help but notice the distress in her body language, head bowed, shoulders hunched, fists closed tight. “I used to be pretty bad myself. But I want to change. Fix things at the SDC… somehow.” She looked back up at Ilia, pale blue eyes filled with earnesty, and this time, Ilia noticed the scar. She’d vaguely known about it, but in person it seemed much more… apparent than in the countless media appearances or photoshoots. Ilia recalled Blake cautioning her that Weiss had had it harder than her status suggested, and almost wanted to ask it’s origin, but knew that would be bad taste.  
Then Ilia realized she was waiting for her to say something. Well, why not give her a chance, if she truly meant it? And who was she to judge Weiss’ quest for redemption? Blake had allowed her back at her side, and Ghira had saved her life even as she had tried to end his. Perhaps she should extend the same kindness to Weiss. So Ilia smiled at the other girl.  
“I look forward to it.” She said softly, and Weiss smiled back.  
"And... well I'm grateful you and Sun brought Blake back to us in one piece." Weiss said, after the silence between them became heavy.  
"I'm not sure I deserve the thanks for that." Ilia murmurs, thinking of her anger, the flames, that horrible fight.  
"Well, you're her friend and you're here with her, so I think you do." Weiss says with what must be a well practiced air of authority. "We were all so worried after she took off." She continued in a softer tone.  
Ilia felt ashamed as she recalled her reaction to Blake leaving. It had been what, over two years ago? Adam had told her Blake had abandoned him on a mission. She had been deemed a traitor, but that had seemed too impersonal for how Ilia had felt. She hadn't expected her to return her feelings, but wasn't Blake her friend? Had she planned on leaving all long, with never a word? When she had resurfaced in Kuo Kuana, Ilia had tried to get her to leave again. So she could pretend it didn't hurt, knowing that her best friend had gone and changed without her. Looking down on Ilia and the others like she hadn't been one of them once, or so it had felt. Now she was grateful Blake had given her a second chance.  
"Why did she leave?" Ilia asked, realizing again she had been brooding.  
"I wish I could tell you." Weiss said with an annoyed huff. "We haven't gotten it out of her yet. She's so anxious right now, it might upset her. I was actually hoping you might know."  
"Oh... sorry." Ilia replied.  
"Don't be. She... never opened much at Beacon either, honestly." Weiss said with a wave of her hand. This surprised Ilia. True, Blake had been quiet, but they had always been able to talk about important things. At least, Ilia had thought so. "Well, from what I can tell... it was how Yang lost her arm." She continued. It made sense. Ilia had noticed the blonde's prosthetic rather quickly, having been told about it by Sun, and the tension between the two girls was even more noticeable. "She blamed herself. I had assumed it was simply that Yang had been injured by the White Fang who Blake had gone looking for, but... Yang didn't want to talk about it either, so I'm not sure."  
But Ilia had an idea, an idea that would have seemed too horrible to consider weeks, maybe even days before if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes. The way Adam had talked to Blake during the fight at the Academy, the fight had been personal for him even beyond friends or partners in crime. And what he'd said about making all of her classmates fighting for her... when Blake had told her team the White Fang had been outside, and quietly informed them the only one to get away was an Adam Taurus, she hadn't missed how Yang had excused herself, her left hand shaking. Ilia had known about Adam's violent tendencies but the unstable outrage he had shown had been worse than she could've imagined. Had this Adam been the Adam Blake had known, had driven her to flee to the Humans? And when she had loved him so sincerely and deeply. Had Adam really used that love against her? Ilia felt even more disgusted with him, and herself for not realizing what had been going on.  
"It... it probably isn't our place, really." Ilia said awkwardly, "But it seems like they made up so... that's good, I guess?". She could hear the discomfort in her tone at bringing up the subject she came out here to escape int he first place, and Weiss looked at her curiously, then with pity.  
"Yes, right. Uh.. oh, what's Menagerie like? I hear it's very lovely, but they don't really like humans coming there." She shrugged, and Ilia knew an awkward subject change when she heard one. Still, she really would much rather talk about Kuo Kuana than her not as dead as she thought crush, so Ilia took the lifeline.  
"Well, the parts that are habitable, sure. That's about one third of it, so thanks for the generous gift of land, humans." she joked, and Weiss looked both amused and embarrassed. Still, much to her surprise, Ilia found she enjoyed her conversation with the former heiress about Kuo Kuana and how different it was from the cold, harsh Kingdom they had called home growing up. She hoped they could perhaps become friends after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I headcanon that Ilia didn't rlly know abt Blake and Adam, and that's why she said she was jealous of Blake having feelings for Adam and not them being together. It makes sense to me if he didn't want people to know they were together and interfere, I guess.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes the title is from a Marianas Trench song, also idk how many chapter i will post of this


End file.
